The Cure
by asloversgo
Summary: Jenny gets caught having a drunken make out session in the street with a stranger. Nate rectifies the situation. Will be M.
1. Part 1: Jenny's Mistake

**The Cure**

**Part One - Jenny's Mistake**

For a while now Jenny had been unhappy. The night of her fashion exposé at Bart and Lily's award ceremony had been her last _good_ day; and it hadn't even been all good. She'd run to Nate and kissed him in excitement (her clothes were a hit), and it had been all downhill from there. Vanessa, Nate, becoming and _becoming_ Queen of Constance, Jonathan, Eric. No good was coming from anything anymore and she couldn't stop it. She couldn't make herself fix it. She couldn't get back to who she'd been before all this mess. So she numbed herself to it all instead.

In the grand tradition of unhappy upper east-siders; she drank her misery and hid both it and her little misdeed from the world. But she couldn't hide it forever.

On a wednesday night Little J parted with her subjects and arrived home to an empty house. She deposited her things in her bedroom and changed out of her school uniform and into ripped jeans and a black sequined tank top. She tried doing some homework, gave up and flipped through a magazine before turning on the TV to see if anything interesting was on. By 8:30 PM she'd watched back to back Top Model reruns, made and eaten a box of KD, done 3 sudoku puzzles, read a scene from Hamlet and moved to a barstool at the kitchen counter. The house was still empty.

Jenny drummed her fingers on the table and then spun in the chair to look around, hoping she'd find something to do. Her chair stopped, facing her toward the Liquor Cabinet. Jenny bit her lip. She'd never taken alcohol from Lily and her dad before. She hopped off the chair and stood with her hands on her hips, starring at the cupboard door. '_Maybe they won't even notice_' she thought to herself. Her hands dropped from her hips and she hesitated a second before opening the door and pulling out the first bottle she saw. Grey Goose Vodka. Jenny unwound the cap and took a gulp. The liquid burned a path down her throat and she covered her mouth with her wrist as she swallowed.

At ten o'clock Jenny was halfway through the bottle and standing just inside the front door contemplating the idea of going outside. She walked back to the kitchen, took another swig of Vodka and stoppered the bottle. She put the bottle back in the cupboard. On her way back to the front door she grabbed her coat off the back of the couch. She managed to get it on as she clumsily pushed her feet into shiny silver high tops. She barely remembered to lock the door behind her as she left. Once out on the street she found her way to the nearest subway station and got on the first train that came by.

At 12:24 Jenny was back at the Subway station near her house. She was standing off to the side trying to decide whether or not to go home when she was whistled at by a cute boy standing on a subway platform with a group of his friends. He had obviously drunk his courage. Jenny smiled and he nodded her over. She walked confidently, if not in a straight line, over to them as he stepped slightly away from his friends.

"Jenny." She put one hand on her hip and tilted her head a little to the side.

"Tyler." He looked her up and down.

"Introduce me to your friends?" she gestured faintly with one hand.

"No one special." His friends protested half heartedly before going back to their own conversation. "Join me for a walk outside?" He jerked his head in the direction of the exit and then backed toward it. She nodded, smiled and followed him as he yelled back to his friends. "Later, boys!" They laughed as the train whooshed to a stop beside them. They got on as Jenny and Tyler made their way up the steps onto the street. Once on the sidewalk Jenny was grabbed clumsily by the hips and pulled into a drunken kiss. It didn't feel right or even good. She didn't object. Her arms went around his neck.

"How about a little more alcohol before we move on?" Tyler suggested pulling back a little.

"Yeah." Jenny agreed and he took her hand and led her to the nearest corner store. She threw a pack of gum and a tootsie roll onto the counter and Tyler came up from the back with a six pack of beer, showed an ID and payed. As they left the store Jenny shoved the gum into the back pocket of her jeans and unwrapped the tootsie roll. Tyler opened a bottle of beer as they walked down the street and handed it to Jenny who put the tootsie roll in her mouth and then took a mouthful of beer. He opened one for himself, took a swig and then kissed Jenny full on the lips, sucking the candy out of her mouth.

"Hey!" she said playfully.

- - -

By the time they reached the last two bottles of beer they were back in Jenny's own neighbourhood, just down the street from the Bass/Humphrey apartment. Jenny stopped them on the corner. It was just after one in the morning and Jenny could not get caught outside her house, drunk and with a strange also drunk boy. She said as much to Tyler, who just snaked his arms around her and sloppily kissed the side of her face.

"Oh, come on. You can show me your room." He smiled and she giggled.

"No, seriously." she giggled again. "My parents are home. And so are my brothers. And my sister. I don't think they'd like you."

"Why not. I'm the perfect gentleman." His words were slurring together a little now and they were muffled by her neck.

"Doesn't look like it from here."

- - -

A/N: I'm not sure how long this will be. At least two parts maybe more. Review anyway! Perhaps encouragement will make me want to lengthen it. :P


	2. Part 2: Nate's Mistake

**The Cure**

**Part 2 - Nate's Mistake**

"Nate!" Jenny turned at the familiar voice and then jumped away from Tyler when she matched face to voice.

"Jenny, what the hell are you doing?" He looked angry, that made her angry.

"Why do you care? What are you doing here anyway?" She crossed her arms defiantly.

"Who is this guy, Jen?" Tyler asked, annoyed this stranger was messing up his night and possibly his chance to get laid.

"Doesn't matter. You won't be sticking around to get to know him." Jenny turned away and started to nudge Tyler in the other direction.

"Jenny I'm not leaving you alone with this guy." Nate took a step closer and Jenny glared.

"What makes you think you have a say?"

"Jenny-" he came closer again and Tyler stepped in front of Jenny to block Nate's path.

"She said leave, dude. So just go." Tyler had pulled out of his haze a little.

"Get out of my way." Nate said calmly.

"And if I don't?" Tyler stood straighter trying to tower over Nate. They were all but the same height so it didn't have the effect he wanted.

"Nate, just leave us alone." Nate ignored her.

"If you don't leave on your own, I _will_ make you." He was still calm but Jenny could see he was serious.

"Like you could." Tyler gave Nate a little shove in the chest.

"Just stop!" Jenny stepped around Tyler quickly so she was between them with a hand on each of their chests, pushing them away from each other. She could see a fight coming and she knew it probably wouldn't end well for Tyler. He was fairly innocent in this scenario and didn't deserve a beating on top of not getting laid.

"I can handle this." Tyler pulled her out of the way.

"Hey." Jenny protested catching her balance before she tripped over the long ago fallen beer bottles.

"Don't ever touch her again, asshole." Nate leaned off and punched Tyler square in the jaw, laying him out on the ground. He grabbed Jenny by the arm and lead her away from Tyler in the opposite direction of her apartment. "Let's go."

"Where? Actually it doesn't matter." she pulled her arm out of Nate's grip and stopped walking, "I'm not going anywhere with you."

"You can either come with me or go home to your parents. You choose." Jenny looked at him and then away angrily.

"And what about Tyler?" she flung her arm toward the guy lying on the sidewalk with a hand to his face, groaning in pain. "We can't just leave him there!"

"We can and we will. He's not bleeding or unconscious and he didn't hit his head. He's just drunk. He'll be fine." He took hold of her again, this time by the wrist and pulled her in the general direction of the subway.

- - -

They endured the journey to Nate's apartment in silence. They even managed until Jenny had gulped down two glasses of water and was halfway through a cup of coffee. But then Jenny couldn't keep it in any longer. "Seriously, Nate? I know you're all good samaritan or whatever, but I was fine. Having fun even."

"That was not fun, Jenny. Did you even know that guy?" Nate was standing on the other side of the counter, shaking two aspirin out of a bottle for her. She was nearly sober now, Tyler had drank much more than she had.

"I was planning on _knowing_ him tonight." Jenny said dryly. "Thanks for ruining that."

"It's a good thing I did. Why would you ever want to lose your..." Nate paused and Jenny jumped in.

"My virginity?" Jenny said looking Nate dead in the eye. "How do you know for sure that's even still in tact? You haven't spoken to me in months. You said it yourself, I'm not who you thought I was."

"Jenny." Nate sighed, resigned. He'd said that when he was angry and disappointed; two emotions that effectively blinded him and pointed him in the wrong direction. Unfortunately he'd only 'seen the light' so to speak, realized how much he didn't mean it, when they were too far apart for him to even think he had a chance of fixing it. He decided he wasn't going to screw it up this time. He looked up at her, eyes open and full of candor, "I'm sorry."

"Sorry?" Jenny's mug clinked against the counter top as she laid it down. Her face shone with incredulity. "After all this time you're _sorry_?" She turned away and paused. Just as Nate tried to explain himself she turned on him again, angry. "I know what I did was bad but Vanessa lied to my face for days and I'm the only one who gets punished? How is it fair that Vanessa got..." Jenny's voice died off and she turned away again, hoping Nate didn't see the tears building in her eyes. She blinked rapidly trying to clear them. "You know what. It doesn't matter now. It's done. It's over."

"It's not over, Jenny." Jenny stopped walking away, pausing in the arch between the kitchen and living room. She turned and her breath hitched as she found Nate standing close. "I made a mistake. A mistake I regret. Do you know how jealous I was tonight? When I saw you with that guy?"

"Nate. Don't-" her voice was barely more than a whisper.

"It should have been you, Jenny." He looked her in the eyes, complete sincerity shining through. "I should have chosen you."

Jenny sighed heavily. "Goodnight, Nate." She walked out of the kitchen into the living room and began to unroll the sleeping bag Nate had brought out for her on the couch. She dropped the pillow on one end of the couch as Nate walked past her toward his bedroom. She avoided his gaze and waited for his door to close before undoing her bra underneath her shirt, slipping the straps over her arms and pulling it off. She removed her pants and wrapped them around her bra laying the ball of clothing next to the couch before burrowing into the sleeping bag.

She tossed and turned for what seemed like hours, trying to get comfortable all the while thinking to herself this had to be the most uncomfortable couch she'd ever laid on. Jenny tried counting sheep, playing Tetris on her phone and imagining dress designs in her head to distract herself but she kept jumping back to the same train of thought. Nate. What he'd said to her kept repeating over in her mind. And then she would analyze it every which way until her head hurt.

Jenny kicked the sleeping bag open and off; she was too warm. She got more and more restless until she got up and started pacing back and forth across the living room. Stopping at the window, she looked out over the street and chewed a thumbnail nervously. Her eyes wandered from the window to Nate's closed door. She could walk right in, no one was here to stop her. Jenny looked back to the window, running a hand through her long, messy blonde hair. She couldn't just walk right in there, what if he didn't want her too? But he'd said...

Taking a deep breath, Jenny marched quietly but purposefully to the bedroom door. She turned the knob and opened it slowly. It seemed Nate had been having the same sleeping problem; he sat up as she moved toward the bed. Her slim figure was outlined in the moonlight coming through the window and Nate's breath hitched at the lack of clothing. He started to say her name but she interrupted him.

"If you say a word, I'll turn around and leave again." She crawled from the foot of the bed up to him and pushed him backward so he was lying down. She pulled the blankets back and nestled herself into his side, laying her head on his chest and wrapping one arm tightly around his middle. The arm underneath her wrapped around her waist pulling her tight to him and Nate's other hand skimmed up the arm over his stomach to cup around her elbow. His nose nuzzled her hair, taking in the scent of lavender and vanilla.

Jenny's eyes had adjusted to the dim light so when she looked up, she could see Nate gazing back at her. His hand left her elbow to caress her face, his thumb traced her lips and she let out a sigh, moving her face closer to his. It was his turn to interrupt. Jenny began to whisper his name but was cut off by his soft lips pressing sweetly to hers. The kiss was short, chaste but bursting with warmth and strength. When it ended Nate wrapped his arms tighter around Jenny's small frame, turning slightly on his side to lessen what little space was between them. Her arm went around his back and her leg curved itself around his. She buried her face in his neck and inhaled softly.

She fell asleep enclosed in his arms and his scent, feeling safe and content. Nate spent hours watching her sleep, memorizing her peaceful face, the slight up-curve of her lips and how her eyelashes rested on her cheeks. He fell asleep with Jenny in his arms and the distinct feeling she would not be there when he woke up.

- - -

**A/N: So that's part 2... Not at all an ending so I guess it's going to be longer :) **

** Review please!**


	3. Part 3: Yesterday's Coffee

**A/N: I'm so sorry it took so long to get out. I couldn't get the scene exactly the way I wanted it. I still think there might be something missing. Hopefully, it's alright. Thank you to anyone who is actually still checking for updates on this one.**

**The Cure**

**Part Three - Yesterday's Coffee**

The sun cascaded through the window; especially bright at the tiny crack in the moderately thick white curtains. Nate blinked and squinted against the sun for a few seconds before giving up and closing his eyes again. He turned in the bed and reached over the space next to him, looking for a warm body that wasn't there. He sighed and rolled onto his back, kicking the blankets off.

He heard a small thump and a muffled curse from the other side of the closed bedroom door and chuckled quietly to himself. She thought she was going to get out of there before he woke up. She was wrong. Nate hopped out of bed, pulling on a pair of jeans over his boxers and strolled through the door into the living room.

"You okay?" Smiling, he leaned against the doorframe and crossed his arms over his chest. Jenny gasped, a hand flew to her chest and she nearly tripped over the coffee table turning to look at him.

"God, Nate. You scared me." She glared a little but the laughing look on his face was replaced by a slightly more serious one. He stayed silent, watching as the guilt mounted in her eyes. "I'm sorry." Little J bit her lip and looked away. She spotted her boots in the porch and moved toward them as a distraction.

"What for?" Nate could see she was nervous and tried for a reassuring tone. She stuttered a few unintelligible half words as she shoved her feet into her boots and walked back through the living room. Nate followed her into the kitchen.

"I shouldn't have come into your room like that last night." She took her coat off the island stool and held it in her hands. She still didn't look at him; couldn't make herself look at him.

"I'm not complaining." The words alluded to something more and she looked up then to find him watching her. He was trying to gauge her reaction but she couldn't read his voice, didn't know what to take from that sentence, was afraid to hope it meant what she wanted it to mean. He took a few steps closer to her.

"Nate, you don't have to-" Jenny's breath caught as he got closer.

"To what?" his voice was quiet and rough. His hands cupped her face, thumbs smoothing over her cheeks. Her eyelids fluttered. Her jacket fell to the floor, forgotten.

"Nate," her voice was soft almost to quiet to be heard, the protest gone. Nate touched his lips to hers, gentle at first, as sweet as the kiss they'd shared the night before, and then more firmly, hands sliding back into her hair. Jenny pulled away slightly and leaned back to rest of the counter, trying to put some space between them. But Nate moved with her, laying his forehead on hers, his hands moving only as far as her neck. Jenny shook her head slowly and looked into Nate's eyes. "I don't know if I can-" He cut her off with his lips. This kiss was more insistent, full of want and need. Jenny sighed into the kiss and smoothed her hands up Nate's chest to rest on his shoulders as his hands made their way around her waist pulling her flush against him. Jenny parted her lips and the kiss deepened, Nate's tongue dancing with hers. Jenny moaned as Nate's hand brushed her breast and he picked her up by the waist, sitting her on the counter top. Last night's half full cup of coffee tipped and spilled over the counter, the dark liquid trickling across the flat grey surface to drip down the side. Neither noticed.

Jenny's head fell back and Nate kissed down her chin to her neck, stopping to suck on her collarbone. His hands made their way under her black tank to massage her hips and waist as her fingers worked to unbutton his blue shirt. Her hands roamed his smooth, toned chest as he nuzzled the spot behind her ear, breathing heavy. Jenny cupped his face in her hands and pulled his forehead to hers. She closed her eyes and tried to calm her breathing and racing heart beat. Nate's hands smoothed down her sides and rested at her hips.

"I am a virgin." Jenny said quietly and then opened her eyes to stare into Nate's. Nate pulled away slightly and looked away; she was confused and he would convince her but he wouldn't exploit her uncertainty.

"We shouldn't be doing this." Jenny knew that as much as he wanted to continue, he wouldn't do so thinking he was taking advantage of her virtue. She wanted this, him. She'd wanted to do this with him for so long it was starting to hurt not to. She'd made up her mind about Nate Archibald; he was it.

"Just go slow." She held his eyes with hers and smiled brilliantly, without hesitation. Nate had almost convinced himself to stop there, back away and tell her they didn't have to do this right now, but then she was speaking and kissing him again, winding her hands into his hair and tightly wrapping her legs around his waist, bringing him closer. His senses flooded with her, her smell, her eyes, her hands on his body, her kiss, the sound of her gentle sigh against his lips; and suddenly he couldn't for the life of him think of even one reason not to do this now. Nate's shirt fell to the floor and he pulled Jenny's up and over her head, dropping it on top of his and searing his lips to hers.

- - -

Nate's hands moved from Jenny's shoulders, caressing her breasts through her bra, dragging thumbs over her nipples making them tight agains the fabric, and then smoothing down over her stomach and sides. Jenny's breathing grew louder and faster. Fingers gripped her jeaned hips and a moan was buried in her hair as she kissed her way down Nate's neck and grazed her teeth over his shoulder before biting gently.

Nate backed up, running his hands down her legs as he went, to remove her boots. He dropped each leg as he threw it's boot behind him. When he looked up again Jenny was slipping her bra off. She pulled him back to her by the belt and tossed the flimsy grey material over his shoulder. Their lips connected hungrily.

Jenny leaned back on her hands as Nate began to kiss his way down her neck. His hand caressed and gently kneaded her sides while his lips and tongue and teeth worked her breasts. He then nuzzled his way down her stomach, his hands changing from sure touch to feather light. Jenny laid back on the counter as he kissed along the line of her jeans and then undid them; she felt something cold and wet on her back. She began to giggle. Nate looked up confused and Jenny brought herself up to a sitting position again.

"I just laid in yesterday's coffee." He chuckled and smiled lightly as she wiped a finger across the wet part of the counter and showed him the brown liquid on her finger. His fingers wrapped around her wrist and her laughing expression softened as the intensity of the moment grew. Nate pulled her hand closer to his face and Jenny's lips parted with anticipation. He kept his eyes riveted to hers as he sucked her finger into his mouth and swirled of the no longer cold coffee off with his tongue.

Jenny slipped off the table as her finger came free of Nate's mouth and framed his face with her hands. She pressed her lips to his firmly and her hands dropped, caressing down over his shoulders; her nails ran gently down over his chest. Nate turned her so her back was to him and kissed and licked a blazing path down her spine. Jenny's hand reached behind her seeking any part of him to touch. She was on fire. Nate could taste the coffee on her skin, bitter and sweet at once. When he got to her lower back he slipped his fingers into the waist of her jeans and pulled them down, leaving her in nothing but a solid black pair of lacy-edged underwear.

Jenny couldn't wait any longer. They made their way kissing and stumbling to Nate's bedroom. Nate fell backwards onto the bed, leaving Jenny standing as he settled himself back, head on the pillows. Jenny crawled up over him, laying a slow kiss on his lips before reversing direction and nuzzling and kissing her way down to his belly button. Her kisses trailed further down as she undid his jeans. She pulled them down along with his boxers, her fingers trailing over his legs. She looked up, taking in the length of him. When her face was level with his again, she wrapped a hand around him gently. Nate breathed out roughly, one hand gripping her arm and the other flat against the bed. Her hand began to move but he didn't give her a chance to explore.

Nate wrapped one arm around her back and used his body to flip them over so he was on top. He kissed her deeply; he was ravenous and she met his passion evenly. He broke the kiss and made quick work of discarding her panties. Almost before she had time to feel the loss of his lips he was kissing her again, propped up on one elbow as his other hand caressed her inner thighs. Jenny moaned loudly as a finger stroked between her folds and slipped inside. She was ready.

"Nate," she began in a whisper. Nate had already reached into the bedside drawer and pulled out a condom. He tore the packaging and rolled it into place. He positioned himself and looked into he eyes.

"This might-" as much as he wanted to lose everything inside her he was still worried about her.

"I know." She smiled surely and kissed him firmly. Nate deepened the kiss and stroked a finger over her nub as he pushed fully inside her. Her mouth dropped open, her eyes fluttered closed, in a mixture of pleasure and pain. He paused leaning his forehead against her shoulder and breathing deeply until her hand cupped his neck, pulling him up into a burning kiss. Her other hand trailed down his back to grasp his ass as she wrapped a leg around his waist. Nate interpreted the sign correctly as a green light and pulled out to thrust back in slowly. Jenny's body arched into his and her head fell back, giving his access to her neck from ear to shoulder. He lavished her skin with kisses and they fell into a quickened pace.

- - -

When noon rolled around they were lying tangled in the white sheets of Nate's bed. Nate on his back with an arm around Jenny, who was stretched out, pressed against his side. One of her hands was drawing pictures on his chest, one leg curved possessively around his. He played gently with her hair, eyes closed, content.

"Nate?" her voice was quiet, happy and satiated with an undertone of worry.

"Hmm?" His eyes drifted open. Jenny looked up at him and bit her lip.

"We're going to have to get up soon." she didn't sound enthused by any means at the prospect.

"Not yet." Nate grinned and pulled Jenny over him so she was straddling his hips; hands on either side of his head. She couldn't help but smile down at him.

"Whatever will we do until then, Mr. Archibald." There was a seductive edge to her voice. Her mouth turned up at one corner mischievously. Her eyebrow raised playfully.

"Gee, Miss Humphrey. You know I haven't the slightest." His hands said differently as they pulled her nude body down on top of his, flush together. His lips kissed a line from he chin to her ear. "Maybe I'll think of something."

- - -

**Review please! I love knowing what people think. Makes me want to write more. :D**


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